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TO: Mayor Richard C. Irvin
FROM: Robert Greene, City Traffic Engineer
DATE: September 16, 2021
SUBJECT:
A resolution financially supporting City Safe Routes to School (SRTS) projects in SD129, SD131, SD204 & SD308, if grant is awarded.
PURPOSE:
To execute a resolution in support of the proposed Safe Routes to School projects for SD 129, 131, 204 & 308 with financial commitment.
BACKGROUND:
Safe Routes To School (SRTS) is a federal grant funding program to improve conditions for students walking/biking to school. The grant program is a reimbursable program and serves three main goals:
1. To enable and encourage children, including those with disabilities, to walk and bicycle to school.
2. To make biking and walking to school a safer and more appealing transportation alternative, thereby encouraging a healthy and active lifestyle from an early age;
3.To facilitate the planning, development, and implementation of projects and activities that will improve safety, reduce traffic, fuel consumption, and air pollution in the vicinity (within 2 miles) of elementary and middle schools (grades K-8).
DISCUSSION:
City staff has identified infrastructure improvements such as elimination of sidewalk gaps & enhance crossing facilities at intersections, to provide safe and continuous routes for students to walk or bike to school, in each of the four school districts:
School district 129: Proposed improvements involve filling sidewalk gaps/adding new sidewalk to connect to existing infrastructure, updating ADA ramps and detectable warning surfaces, pedestrian/bike signage, new pavement markings such as crosswalks and stop bars, all per existing IDOT standards.
School District 131: Proposed Improvements involve extending curbs to shorten pedestrian roadway crossings at identified intersections near schools, filling sidewalk gaps, updating ADA ramps and detectable warning surfaces.
School District 204: Installing solar powered speed radar signs at identified l...
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